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Page 420
the king continued to move from place to place after the crisis had passed, and had done the most necessary business that was pressed upon him by Salisbury and others, he had seemed content to sleep till the day was far advanced, talk idly to the queen, pat her swelling belly during the afternoon, and futter a remarkable number of women through the night.
Had Ian been given to thinking in those terms, he would have said that God was showing His favor to the righteous. The lazy fit could not have fallen at a better time. Pembroke had been able to gather men and leave for Ireland without the slightest hindrance. When Oxford announced his departure, John had said no more than, "Better he than I." Now, however, Alinor wrote, the monster seemed to be stirring. Ela had written to Alinor that John had been asking sharp questions about Pembroke's doings abroad. So far, according to Salis-bury, he seemed merely interested, not angry, but Ela did not trust her husband's interpretations of his brother's moods.
Ian had been able to write reassuringly to Alinor. He did not trust Salisbury's perspicacity about John's intentions any more than Lady Ela did, but he had information on another event that would doubtless divert John from any consideration of Pembroke's doings. The Pope had kept his compact with the bishops and had definitely and positively annulled the election of both Reginald, subprior of Canterbury, and John, Bishop of Norwich, as prospective Archbishop of Canterbury. After considerable pressure had been applied to the monks of Canterbury, who had come to plead the case of the subprior by the Pontiff, he had secured the election of Stephen Langton and, to obviate any slip twixt the cup and the lip, had himself consecrated Langton as archbishop on June 17.
The news had come to Ian from Peter des Roches, Bishop of Winchester. Peter was the king's man and a very loyal servant to John, too loyal to allow the king

 
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